In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson declared February as American Heart Month.  According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, killing 630,000 people every year.  Before 2001, those statistics would not have crossed my mind, but on August 12, 2001 those statistics became very real to me.  

It was July 24, 2001, when I traveled from Tampa Bay to Palm Beach to visit my family for my 26th birthday.  I decided to have a father-daughter lunch at The Pineapple Grill in Delray Beach. I remember the waitress asking me if I wanted a photo of my dad and I together. I said, "Yes, of course."  Little did I know that the photo would be the last photo I would ever take with him. You never think to yourself, "this is the last time I will see you." My father was 54 years old and why would I be thinking about "death" and "losing a parent" at such a young age!

Less than two weeks later, on August 12, 2001, my friend Katie and I were watching the finale of our favorite show when the phone rang.  It was ten o'clock at night and I thought, "Who would be calling at this time of night?"  I answered the phone and recognized that one of my father's friend's was calling. As I sat and listened to him speak, "Marnie, your father passed away today." I was in shock and disbelief.  I fell to the floor and screamed, "Why, what happened? What was it? How?" I found out that my father passed away from a Pulmonary Embolism. By definition, "is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus (blood clot) from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venousthromboembolism.thromboembolism." Could the resveratrol in red wine be the key ingredient in preventing damage to blood vessels and blood clots?

There was no history of anything like this in my family. How this could have happened to such a vibrant man, so full of life at age 54? A majority of my friends donated to the American Heart Association in his name, Philip T. Levy in lieu of flowers. It showed me how much my friends took my father's passing to "heart." Most of them knew my father from my high school and college years, considered him a friend. 

I am a "red" wine girl and it got me thinking,  What's in red wine that is good for your heart?  The answer might surprise you.  There's still no clear evidence that red wine is better than other forms of alcohol when it comes to possible heart-healthy benefits. 

Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics. Many studies to uncover a cause for red wine's effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries. Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol and prevent blood clots.

Today, I keep a healthy lifestyle and have been tested for the gene that could possibly cause a blood clot.  Luckily, I have no signs, nor is anything detected.  I hope by sharing my story with you, my readers, that it will grab your attention and support "American Heart Month." Treasure each and every day that you have with your loved ones. I do and I do take care of my heart.  Thank you for your support.Type Story Here